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At WWE Clash at the Castle in Scotland, AJ Styles uttered the words 'I Quit' in his match against Cody Rhodes. While Styles tried his best and inflicted a lot of damage on The American Nightmare, the latter proved why he is the champion by beating The Phenomenal One.
After this loss against Rhodes, there is a lot of speculation about what the future holds for the former Bullet Club leader. In this article, we will look at four directions after Styles' loss to Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle:
#4. AJ Styles can go on a sabbatical
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The best way one can cope with a loss is by taking some time off. This is something AJ Styles could do following his loss against Cody Rhodes. Instead of appearing on SmackDown and continuing his career, Styles could take time to rethink his strategy in WWE.
This time off could help Styles become a better wrestler, and he can potentially make a big comeback after a few months. A potential sabbatical will also help WWE build new storylines for him.
#3. AJ Styles can go after the United States Championship
The fact AJ Styles could not beat Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle hints that his days of possibly winning a World Championship in WWE are over. While that might be disheartening for a wrestler of Styles' caliber, it's not necessarily the end of the road for him.
If The Phenomenal One wants, he could potentially challenge for the United States Championship on SmackDown. Winning the US Title at this stage in his career could also be the perfect thing for him. Styles' former rival LA Knight is currently on a hunt for the title match against current champion Logan Paul and the former TNA World Champion could insert himself in the feud for a possible bout.
It will be interesting to see if Styles pursues something along these lines.
#2. Lead The O.C. against The Bloodline
AJ Styles is one wrestler on the WWE roster who has traveled around the world and competed in different promotions. During his travels, Styles also wrestled in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and was part of The Bullet Club with Tama Tonga. While the two were close initially, the faction betrayed Styles towards the end of his run in New Japan.
This is a potential storyline WWE could work with. In the coming weeks on SmackDown, they could show Styles leading The O.C. against The Bloodline to take revenge on Tama Tonga and the crew. A storyline between these two factions could prove to be interesting.
#1. Move to RAW
After this loss to Cody Rhodes, it's clear that things have not worked out for AJ Styles on SmackDown. However, despite all this, if he still has aspirations of becoming a World Champion, then The Phenomenal One could consider moving to RAW.
On the red brand, Styles could collect some wins and build up his resume, which would help him get a match for the World Heavyweight Championship. This could be the best way The Phenomenal One can win a World Title in the Stamford-based promotion.
